Lightweight, flexible solar energy systems are now achievable because of the work being done by UK-based Power Roll. Power Roll has worked on an innovative solar film since 2012 to create electricity generation from any surface. Power Roll reaches a critical point in its perovskite solar cell development, which enables the company to start commercial production.
Power Roll implements a production method that uses plastic substrates to embed microgroove structures that resemble the security features found on credit cards. Five hundred thousand grooves exist within every square meter of the material, and they receive coatings of conductive substances and photoactive ink. The manufacturing process uses roll-to-roll processing to encapsulate these structures at high efficiency and low cost. The solar film uses perovskite as its base material because it is both efficient and abundant, thus enabling the conversion of sunlight into electricity at a reduced cost compared to conventional solar panels.
The University of Sheffield researchers collaborated on developing a back-contact design for perovskite solar cells, which represents a significant recent breakthrough. The back-contact design positions all electrical connections on the rear side of the components, which enhances efficiency and makes manufacturing processes easier. The increase in grooves from 16 to 362 components leads to higher power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 12.8%.
Power Roll’s solar film becomes more affordable and scalable because it eliminates the requirement for expensive transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) based on indium. This lightweight film enables deployment on rooftops and remote areas that have no bearing on building loads, thus expanding clean energy distribution opportunities.
Power Roll aims to transform solar energy through their successful $5.4 million funding round from last October while targeting the production of 1 GW of solar film-generated electricity. Through their innovative work, they are developing methods to transform unused areas into efficient renewable power generation systems.